Scenario: Wolves howling in the night

[Deacon51]

Okay, so last night I awake at ~ 0215... the room is dark and I'm not sure what has stirred me from my sleep. I lay there a moment in silence, staring at the darkness. My heart race is noticeable fast and I'm feeling jumpy. An acorn falls on the roof, and before I can process the sound my feet are on the floor, and my still holstered XD9 is in my hand.

I look down at the firearm, the slide is locked back and the hollow points nickel plating is visible through the glow of the security light streaming in my window... wait... the security light (motion sensor switch) is on. I slip on my shorts and a pair of crocks, I grab my "SureFire" light and creep out of my bedroom. Gun is still holstered, slide locked back. Where's the damn dog?

I move tot he front door, and check that the dead bolt is engaged, then to the back... there's the dog. Standing on point, staring at the door, she takes no notice of me. Hey, she only weighs 4.5 Lbs, but she is a good dog in every sense.

The security light goes out. I open the door, the dog takes off like a shot, lighting the security light again, but no barking... and she is a barker. I drop the slid on the XD and step out the door. I use my light to check under the deck and take a tour around the house... keeping my distance from hiding places as I clear them with the Surefire wile my XD is in my strong hand, pointed down and to my rear.

I start to head tot he tool shed, but decide that clearing the thing would present a huge risk... something I need to work on. So I just sine the light on the door, and the hasp seems to be intact so I leave it at that.

I reach in my shorts and grab a smoke. Pretty sure that there isn't a threat, and if there is a threat the best bet would be to avoid it and let it craw back under the rock from which it came. It would know I'm here, and it would know I'm ready.

So I smoke... the dog comes bounding out if the woods and sits beside me. From the other side of the woods I began to hear some voices... a little yelling that I can't understand, a male and a female. The female sounds very angry, hateful even. The male sounds firm and aggressive. I wish I could make out the words.

I bring the dog back into the house, do a few push-ups to calm down a little and head back to bed... but it's no use.

I had to ask myself several things... why didn't I try and wake my wife who still has no idea about last night? Why in the world did I grab my gun and light but leave the cell phone sitting there as I stepped out to face a unknown threat? Why was I so concerned about my damn gun? I bet I rubbed my finger over the chambered round indicator 3 times a minute?

I made a ton of mistakes, thank god I did not encounter a armed human. I had no back-up. No call into 911. No wife watching out the window on the phone to police. All I had for help was a 4.5 lb dog that likes to bark and jump and lick when a stranger comes around.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[wmhawth]

You've recapped this scenario in your mind and probably won't make the same mistakes next time. Good thinking I say.

[MitchellCT]

Something I learned in a class on fighting in structures:

If in danger or in doubt, grab a shotgun, sit (in a defense-able position), and wait trouble out.

Do Not Go Looking To Confront An Intruder. Note the capitol letters.

[packinnova]

I only have a question(or two)...Why was the slide locked back while holstered to start with(by locked back I'm assuming an open chamber)? Are you concerned you're going to ND if it's not locked back on you?

[Deacon51]

I only have a question(or two)...Why was the slide locked back while holstered to start with(by locked back I'm assuming an open chamber)? Are you concerned you're going to ND if it's not locked back on you?

The simple answer is... yes.

I have never been comfortable with SA triggers like the XD/Glock. Yes, Yes... I know, keep your bugger hook off the trigger and they are perfectly safe, and I believe it. But when under high stress (or in the fog of sleep) I do think that having my finger off the trigger and my thumb on the safety (or slide release in this case) is even safer.

As a matter of fact, I have a HK USPf (with a safety and decocker) waiting approval from the State, which will replace the XD as my night stand gun because of this.

[Rock and Glock]

Recognizing the mistakes, albeit after the fact, is a great first step. Processing it thereafter, and not making the same mistake twice will follow.

Did the same thing about a month ago with a sick dog at 3:00 AM - sans Glock. Felt really really unprepared when a car pulled through our circular driveway (we live in the country) and I immediately thought "Oh dagnabbit, here I am totally unprepared". Actually, a lot more colorful IIRC, but you get the pic. Anyway, 'twas the paperboy, dog got well the next day, and I got a cheap lesson.

You'll probably never do it again.

P.S. Do you worry about your "monster" dog running off in the woods and maybe running into a pack of coyotes or the like? just curious.

[ghost tracker]

What you need is more space. If I hear voices, it means the folks are on my property. And as long as they are, my dogs can get to them (German Shepherd & Boxer/Pitbull Mix). However, my dogs stop at the Property Boundary because of a stout (but underground) electronic dog fence. Those hounds are the best alarm available & good company as well. The dang racoons don't raid the trash-cans either.

[Deacon51]

It doesn't matter what kind of action that you have whether it be a doubleaction,single action or both,a revolver,derringer,shotgun or a rifle...

keep your finger OFF of the trigger until you are on target. Following that rule alone would insure that there was no negligent discharge. No target...no finger on the trigger. Its simple but it works.

Walking around with the slide locked back because you are afraid of a ND is a training issue... or rather a lack of.

You need more training.With training and practice comes confidence...enough that you trust yourself with a loaded gun.



You should have been ready to roll when you got up and stepped out of your bedroom to investigate. Being anything less than ready is a recipe for disaster.

Find someone that knows how to clear a building and then practice it with an unloaded gun. Learn how to slice the pie, maintain cover, point where you look. Have them walk you though it and show you the correct way. You'll be doing yourself and your family a favor.

Its not the gun that is the deciding factor, its the MAN behind it. The gun is just a tool. You must learn how to use it efficiently or it will be useless to you when you need it the most.

I agree with you 110% My training is severely lacking. And I'm doing what I can afford to do and still eat.

As you know, under stress, your body can do strange things, and I know I do not have the muscle memory I need. To tell the truth, when I first got up I assumed the small critters where in the garbage can again. (normally this drives my dog nutters) It was several mainly the dog at the back door that brought my mind up to condition yellow... a place I think my subconscious mind already was, either due to a night mare, or at some level, realizing there was a threat before my conscious mind was ready to admit to the facts.

I don't know, at least that's what I think happened.

I did spend several years in the Navy, and I can shot a 3 inch group all day long. My Navy training was nothing more than safety, field striping, cleaning, and sight alignment. But, I have never had any Force on Force training, or even any real pain ball / air soft experience. And most of my high stress training was in Firefighting and CBRN defense. It is something I do what to work on.

[Deacon51]

I have not yet carried my new XD but I, too, am apprehensive. Specifically, the holstering (is to holster a verb?) of the loaded XD. I am very careful with the snubbie. I have the horrible thought that something will intrude in the trigger guard and then, BANG. It takes both hands to holster my IWB rig. The XD has a much lighter trigger. Is it appropriate change the grip so as to not disengage the grip safety when holstering? Am I concerned about nothing?

What might be a good practice drill?

I'm convinced that I am concerned about nothing. I know it in my mind, but I haven't been able to shake the feeling. I have drawn the XD from my holster at least 100 times with a snap cap loaded and never had a ND. Still, I don't have the confidence I should.

[NYcarry]

I have not yet carried my new XD but I, too, am apprehensive. Specifically, the holstering (is to holster a verb?) of the loaded XD. I am very careful with the snubbie. I have the horrible thought that something will intrude in the trigger guard and then, BANG. It takes both hands to holster my IWB rig. The XD has a much lighter trigger. Is it appropriate change the grip so as to not disengage the grip safety when holstering? Am I concerned about nothing?

What might be a good practice drill?

carry it a cocked but no bullet in the barrel, do this and see how often the trigger ends up pulled.

I did this the first few weeks with my Glock, and it never ended up pulled. So now I am confident in the safeties.

[SleepingZ]

What happens if in your state of confusion you drop the mag out and now you have a gun that is unloaded and you are trying to find the mag while you should be looking for BG's


SleepingZ

[Bark'n]

JMHO... I think you may be developing bad habits by carrying your gun around with the slide locked back.

Do you expect if someone jumped at you with a tire iron as you rounded a corner, you would be able to get your gun into action in time to keep from getting your head caved in?

The XD is safe with a round in the chamber... don't develop bad habits!

Sounds like a common problem among a large population of people. They want a gun to protect themselves but they don't want to put in the "required" time to be "reasonably" proficient with it.

I wouldn't expect that if you used a revolver that you would walk around carrying it with the cylinder open would you?

Start to develop good habits now and you won't regret it later.

JMHO... YMMV

[Fragman]

What Bark'n said.....

[Mad_Max]

If in danger or in doubt, grab a shotgun, sit (in a defense-able position), and wait trouble out.

I agree .... A pistol is for fighting your way to your shotgun or rifle....

[Deacon51]

In my defense, I did drop the slid before I steped out the back door.

I have had the XD for several months now, and I KNOW it's a safe weapon. Yet I still fear a ND, so I have decided to go back to my roots to a hammer fired weapon with a safty.